G8 Summit protest organization continues, without G8

Occupy Chicago protesters may have ousted the war powers from Chicago but they aren’t content to stop there.

Plans of a major Occupy Chicago protest against the G8 Summit spread like fire in a dry forest. Thousands vowed their support, making plans to congregate in the streets of Chicago with signs, chants, and plenty of exposure via social media.

When the White House and May Emanuel recently announced that the G8 Summit would not be held in Chicago any longer (instead Camp David will host the meetings) Occupy Chicago protesters saw the change as a victory. In their eyes, the plans of their protest scared the bullies out of town.

Although there will be no G8 Summit in Chicago, the protest will take place on May 19-21, 2012. NATO is still slated to be in town, and protesters aren’t fond of them, either.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Occupy Chicago will be joined by fellow activists Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8). Leader Andy Thayer states, “Thousands of people will be coming to Chicago anyway to protest because people are at least as upset with NATO as they are with G8, we see that NATO is basically the defacto military arm of the G8.”

The scheduled protest is expected to have a turnout of at least ten thousand. Many attendees are residents in the region who are fed up the federal cutbacks that affect public services, schools, and healthcare while the war machines keep churning. Though no Occupy Chicago or CANG8 rep has called NATO the axis of evil, they are convinced that the self-serving group’s spending is slanted in favor of the 1% (who often have personal investments in warfare) against the well-being of the 99% of the world.